Never Forget
by IronCap
Summary: If we don't have hearts, then why does it hurt so much?" Akuroku death oneshot! Slight yaoi!


**YUS!! Xanjen is back! And with more pollution crap to add to fanfiction! XD Okay well this was originally supposed to be an Akuroku vampire chapter story, but I was feeling quite emo over the weekend, so I decided to make a one-shot instead. This took me roughly 5 days, so it's only like 12 pages, and not very good o//o. Ya...I freakin SUCK at emotional scenes so I'm SUPER SORRY!!!  
Special thanks to Xarsah-chan and Jackie-chan for helping me with my mistakes :D  
***Disclaimer*** -sigh- No, I do not own ANYTHING but my own writing skill XP

* * *

**

"Y'know, I think I've been running away from the one question I've been wanting to ask." Roxas said, dangling his short legs off the ledge of the clock tower. "What's gonna happen to be now? Just tell me that. Nothing else really matters anymore."

"Roxas…" Axel started, sighing heavily. "_Nothing_ is going to happen to you. These days will never stop. It'll always be you and me sitting up here eating ice cream after missions. We'll always be together." The redhead laid a hand reassuringly on Roxas's shoulder.

"B-But what if we get separated? What…what if you _die_?" Roxas asked slowly, shaking his head.

"Roxas." Axel said sternly, cupping his hand under the blonde's chin and lifting it up slightly to stare into his shocking blue eyes. "I'm not going _anywhere._ We'll never be apart."

"How can you be so sure?" Roxas questioned, pulling his chin away from Axel's hand.

"Because, even if we are apart, as long as we don't forget about each other, we'll always be together." Axel finished, licking his sea-salt ice cream slowly.

"Wow…that was deep, Axel." Roxas said, his eyebrows rose in amazement.

"What? I can be deep!" Axel fought back.

"On rare occasions…" Roxas mumbled under his breath.

"Oh, shut up, Roxie." I said, lightly pushing him.

"What? I didn't say anything!" Roxas shot back, staring at Axel with impossibly blue innocent eyes.

"You're too innocent, Roxas…" Axel concluded, shaking his head.

"Um-thanks?" The blonde tilted his head to the side, wondering how to respond to Axel's comment.

"Welcome. Now c'mon, Saïx is gonna murder us if we don't get back soon." Axel said, swinging his legs around the ledge and standing up.

"Fine, fine…" Roxas said, slipping the popsicle stick into his pocket and straightening up.

"C'mon Rox." Axel said, walking toward the stairs.

"I'm com-whoa!" Roxas suddenly shouted, making Axel whip around in confusion.

Axel ran back to the ledge as he saw the blonde lose his balance and start tipping over the edge of the ledge.

"ROXAS!" Axel screamed as he lunged for Roxas's flailing hand.

"AXEL!" Roxas shouted as he felt himself leaving the ledge.

Adrenaline pulsed through Axel's veins as he leaned over the edge, desperately trying to save him. Roxas clawed at the air, trying to climb his way back up to Axel on invisible air.

"A-A-Axel!" Is all Roxas could shout as he fell farther downward.

"Roxas! No, no, no, no, no, NO!" Axel shouted in disbelief as he watched his other half fall towards the pavement.

"I'll never forget you, Axel! We'll always be together!" Roxas shouted, somehow remembering Axel's words in all the confusion. "Goodbye."

"ROXAS!" Axel shrieked as Roxas hit the pavement far below him. Axel stood there for a few seconds in disbelief, trying to process the information.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no-" Axel chanted, summoning a portal and quickly rushing inside it, teleporting him just yards from where Roxas lay.

"ROXAS!" Axel screamed, tears streaming down his face as he sprinted towards Roxas.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Axel started repeating again, collapsing to the ground in a teary puddle in front of Roxas.

Axel looked at Roxas through squinted, watery eyes. He lay there, as if sleeping, who knows how he fell that perfectly. Axel almost believed for a second that Roxas wasn't dead, just unconscious, but under closer inspection, his chest wasn't moving, and there was no pulse under his still-warm skin.

Axel gently lifted Roxas up under his back and sobbed over him, not believing anything that was going on.

"NO! How can this be HAPPENING?" Axel screamed at himself, his tears streaking Roxas's black coat. "R-Roxas! Come b-back! P-P-Please!" Axel stuttered through heavy sobs as he shook the motionless blonde.

A few people began to gather around Axel, wondering what all the commotion was.

"O-Ohmygosh! We need to call 911!" A girl with wavy brown hair said, whipping out her cell phone.

"N-No! D-Don't call anyone!" Axel snapped, bringing Roxas closer to him.

"O-Okay…" The girl replied, slowly putting away her cell phone.

"I-I need to get out of here." Axel hastily opened a portal and picked up Roxas bridal style, ignoring the gasps emitting from the people. He rushed inside and prayed that somehow this was a nightmare.

* * *

Axel arrived at the Castle that Never Was, sprinting towards his room, hoping that no one saw him.

"A-Axel! W-Where are you going?" He heard Demyx call after him.

Axel ignored the call and just ran faster to his room, throwing the door open and slamming it shut with his hip.

He gently set Roxas down on his bed and crumpled to the ground, sobbing violently.

"R-R-R-R-Roxas…" Is all he could manage out between his sobs. "I-I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry!"

Axel climbed onto the bed and cradled Roxas as he let tears fall onto the blonde's face.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Axel screamed in a fury of rage. Flames slowly licked up Axel's white walls, making a crackling sound as it burned off the paint. "This is NOT happening!" Axel shouted in denial, sending the flames higher and higher around him, encasing him and Roxas in a fiery circle.

* * *

Outside Axel's room, Demyx cautiously pressed an ear to the door, biting his bottom lip nervously.

"A-Axel?" Demyx clutched his sitar closer to his chest and slowly turned the doorknob, wincing as the touched the hot metal. Demyx slowly pushed the door open a crack, and suddenly recoiled back at the sight of Axel's burning room.

_W-What happened? _Demyx wondered, pushing the door open more and peeking inside to find Axel. Demyx's eyes widened at the sight before him. Axel was sitting on his bed, a never-ending river of tears cascading from his eyes. A motionless Roxas lay in his arms, his mouth slightly open, as if he was sleeping. His coat was streaked with Axel's tears and there was gravel and dirt in his hair. Demyx just stood, his eyes slowly filling with tears as he watched Axel fall apart over Roxas.

Axel snapped his head up as he heard a hiccup escape from Demyx's lips.

"What do you want!?" Axel snarled at the Melodious Nocturne.

Demyx just stood there, speechless, as a steady stream of tears ran down his face.

"Get OUT!" Axel shouted, throwing Demyx out of the room with a huge blast of fire.

"Gah!" Demyx shrieked as he felt himself hit the wall opposite Axel's room.

"N-No! Roxas is…no! H-He can't be!" Demyx cried shakily, clutching his bleeding arm where his sitar had impaled him when he hit the wall.

"I-I gotta go find Zexion…" Demyx mumbled, sprinting down the hall.

* * *

Axel felt no shame or regret as he threw Demyx out into the hall. He only cared about what thing now. Roxas.

"Rox…I-I'm…I'm so…I'm so SORRY!" He cried over Roxas's lifeless body.

Axel brought Roxas's coat closer to his face, inhaling his scent.

_Vanilla._ Axel thought, choking out more sobs as the memory flooded back.

* * *

_"Hey, Axel?" Roxas said suddenly, turning his head to face the pyro._

_"Mmm?" Axel replied, licking his sea-salt ice cream._

_"What do I smell like?" Roxas asked, not skipping a beat._

_"W-What?" Axel choked on a bit of ice cream, surprised by the blonde's question._

_"What do I smell like?" Roxas repeated again, staring at him with impossibly huge eyes._

_"I dunno, Roxie, c'mere." Axel pulled_ _Roxas closer to him and buried his face in Roxas's shock of blonde hair. They sat there for a minute, Axel inhaling Roxas's scent. Finally Axel pulled back with a big grin on his face._

_"What? What do I smell like?" Roxas asked eagerly._

_"Vanilla." Axel said, still grinning like an idiot._

_"Vanilla?" Roxas tilted his head to the side, a confused expression on his face._

_"Yup." Axel replied, his smile widening._

_"Hmph. Strange smell…" Roxas mumbled, shaking his head and licking his ice cream._

_"Hey," Axel said, pulling Roxas closer. "Vanilla's my **favorite**." He purred. _

_"Oh shut up, Axel." Roxas said, rolling his eyes._

_"What? Fine, then what do **I **smell like?" Axel asked._

"Well c'mere." Roxas said, grabbing Axel's coat and pulling him down to his level.

_"As you wish, King Shorty." Axel laughed, lowering his head._

_"Shut up!" Roxas retaliated, yanking one of Axel's fiery spikes._

_"Ouch! That hurt Roxie!" Axel yelped, rubbing his head._

_"Good, now stay still." Roxas instructed as he buried his face into the red spikes._

_After a moment of complete silence, Roxas lifted his head up and released his grip on Axel's coat. "Cinnamon and a bonfire…with a hint of pine."_

_"Well, that's not surprising. That's the smell of sexy." Axel said with a wink._

_"You're so full of it, Axel." Roxas said, rolling his eyes again._

_"Couldn't be any other way." Axel replied with a satisfied sigh._

_Roxas just rolled his eyes again in response and stared into the sunset._

* * *

Axel couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his face as he remembered Roxas…the full-of-life Roxas.

"I-I-I n-never got a chance t-to t-tell him…" Axel whispered, making the flames go even higher around them.

* * *

"Zexion! Zexy! ZEXIOOOOOOOOON!" Demyx shouted as he sprinted around the corner, sliding into the wall as he did so. He quickly regained his balance and sprinted for The Cloaked Schemer's dark blue door.

"Zexy!" Demyx called, throwing open the door.

"What is it Demyx?" Zexion asked in a worried tone, closing his thick book and hopping off the bed.

"A-Axel! R-R-Roxas! F-F-Flames! H-He's GONE!" Demyx shrieked, his voice impossibly high.

"D-Demyx, what is going on?" Zexion asked, his visible eye huge.

Demyx put his face in his hand and sobbed. "R-Roxas! H-He's gone! He-He's DEAD!" Demyx screamed in disbelief, rushing towards Zexion and wrapping his arms around him.

"W-What!? D-Demyx! L-Let's go!" Zexion said, gently peeling Demyx off his waist and sprinting towards Axel's room.

* * *

Axel couldn't stop sobbing as memory after memory came rushing back, haunting him about all the times he could've told Roxas.

"Why? Why didn't I tell him?" Axel sobbed, clutching Roxas close. "I-I'm s-so stupid! I-I should've t-told him w-when I h-had the c-chance!"

* * *

Zexion ignored Demyx's calls to wait up and ran as fast as his legs would take him towards Axel's room.

"Axel!" Zexion shouted as he burst through Axel's door, panting from the heat.

"Go…away…Zexion." Axel slowly said, his voice dripping with malice and threat.

"No." Zexion said, quickly creating an illusion in which Axel thought he needed Zexion's help.

"Z-Zexion…" Axel whispered under the influence of the illusion.

"Axel. Tell me exactly what happened." Zexion said slowly, laying a reassuring hand on Axel's shoulder.

"R-Roxas and I w-were up o-on the clock tower eating ice c-cream like w-we always do, a-and h-he got up to g-go back h-home, and h-he FELL!" Axel shrieked, burying his face in his hands.

"H-He what!?" Zexion's eyes grew huge as he stared at the pyro.

_Axel never cries…ever! _Zexion's thoughts were interrupted by a fresh wave of sobs escaping from Axel.

"S-Shh, Axel…g-go on." Zexion said, patting his shoulder comfortingly.

"O-Okay. W-Well, I-I tried to grab h-him, but he f-fell too fast and he said that h-he'll n-never forget m-me and that w-we'll always b-be together a-and then h-he hit the g-ground and DIED!" Axel screamed, choking on uncontrollable sobs.

Zexion couldn't say anything as he let streams of tears fall down his face.

"I-If we d-don't have h-hearts, then w-why does it h-hurt so much?" Axel asked no one in particular, hugging Roxas closer.

Demyx finally came in the room and laid a hand on Zexion's shoulder. Zexion collapsed and hugged Demyx's waist and sobbed.

"W-Why d-did th-this h-happen?" Zexion sobbed, hugging Demyx tighter.

"Shh, it'll be okay." Demyx said, sitting down on the bed and letting Zexion curl up into a ball on his lap.

They all sat in silence, knowing well enough that this was _not_ going to be okay on any terms.

"I-I think he's n-not a-as angry a-anymore…" Zexion finally said, raising his tear-streaked face and lifting the illusion with the wave of his hand.

Axel did nothing in response but cry harder over Roxas's body.

"S-Should we tell the others?" Demyx suddenly asked, biting his bottom lip.

"I-I d-don't w-want t-to b-be the o-one to t-tell them." Axel sobbed, rocking back in forth.

"I-I'll g-go tell them." Zexion said, uncurling from his position and wiping his eyes. He bounced off the bed and fixed his bangs, offering a helping hand to Demyx.

"I-I think we should leave Axel alone…" Zexion said, helping Demyx up and maneuvering his way through the dying flames.

"C'mon Demyx, we c-can't leave the other guys in the d-dark." Zexion said, pulling Demyx out into the hallway.

* * *

"Um, guys?" Zexion addressed the Organization. "W-We have a problem."

Xemnas, Saïx, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Marluxia, Luxord, Larxene, and Lexeaus all looked up at a puffy eyed Demyx and Zexion.

"What's up kiddo?" Xibar asked, stopping his card game with Luxord.

"Yes? What is it Number VI?" Xemnas sighed heavily.

"Um…well you see…Number XIII is…" Zexion hiccupped, trying to hold back more tears. "No longer with us."

* * *

"W-What!?" They all gasped, immediately stopping what they were doing to stare at Zexion.

"W-Well, h-he f-fell o-off the clock t-tower and h-he's…dead…" Zexion said, a pale tear running down his face.

"W-W-What!?" Marluxia asked, his blue eyes brimming with tears. "N-Not Roxy!"

Vexen just gaped at Zexion, his green eyes filling with disappointment and hurt. "B-But t-that m-means n-no m-more experiments!"

"More importantly, it means that we cannot complete Kingdom Hearts." Xemnas said, pacing back and forth, unfazed by the occurrence.

"W-What are w-we gonna do?" Marluxia said in a panicky voice, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Shut up, Marly, we'll just have to resort to using Sora." Larxene snapped, resuming reading her book.

"How is Number VIII coping with this?" Saïx asked calmly.

"Well, he practically burned down his whole room, but I think he's not so angry as he was before." Demyx replied, scuffing his shoes against the linoleum.

"We'll just have to find a way for Sora to kill more Heartless…" Lexeaus added to the conversation.

"Are ANY of you just the _slightest_ fazed by this?!" Zexion practically shouted.

Marluxia, Vexen, Xigbar, Demyx, and Luxord raised their hands tentatively in the air.

"I don't see what the big deal is." Larxene rolled her eyes at them, trying to concentrate on her book.

"W-Would it b-be okay if w-we visited A-Axel?" Marluxia asked cautiously, a bouquet of black and white flowers suddenly in his hand.

"Mar-I don't think that'd be the best idea…" Vexen sighed, plopping down on the couch.

"I'll just have to save these then…" Marluxia pouted, setting the flowers in a glass vase on the coffee table.

"Why would there be any reason for us not go into Number VIII's room?" Xemnas asked, his orange eyes questioning Zexion.

"W-Well, h-he just about killed me when I went in there, and he burned Demyx pretty bad…" Zexion said wringing his hands together and motioning to Demyx.

"Y-Yeah, if you don't wanna get burned, I wouldn't suggest going in there right at the moment." Demyx said, glancing towards Axel's room.

"Fine. We shall wait until Number VIII is calm, then we shall resume our daily activities." Xemnas sighed.

"W-We're not going to have a burial or anything?" Demyx asked, twisting his coat in his hands.

"Why would we have a burial? We Nobodies just fade into nothing." Saïx stated flatly.

"W-Well Roxas isn't fading, and we don't know why…" Zexion said, biting his lip nervously. "A-And I think it would give Axel some closure if we had a burial. Plus, I don't think any of us want Axel keeping Roxas's body in his room…"

"Hmm…I suppose. All in favor of a burial service raise your hand." Xemnas instructed.

Demyx, Zexion, Vexen, Marluxia, Luxord, and Xigbar all raised their hands.

"Good, then it's decided. We shall have a funeral as soon as VIII is ready." Xemnas concluded. "Now, back to work, all of you. You may pay your respects to Number XIII when VIII is ready."

* * *

"D-Do you think we should go back in there?" Demyx asked tentatively, following Zexion down the hall.

"Demyx…I think he needs some alone time." Zexion said, trying to be as gentle as possible.

"B-But why? Doesn't he wanted to be surrounded by people who care about him?" Demyx protested.

"Demyx." Zexion stopped in the middle of the hall and laid his hands on Demyx's shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes. "What if I died? Wouldn't you want some alone time? Some time to digest everything? Social as you are, I highly doubt you would want people in your room."

"Z-Zexion! I-I don't want you to die!" Demyx cried, his eyes widening.

"Shh-Demyx, I'm not going anywhere." Zexion said soothingly. "Now how about we go make you some hot chocolate?"

"O-Okay." Demyx said with a slow nod, small tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

* * *

As realization sunk deeper within Axel, he couldn't do anything but sob harder, if that was even feasible. He tried choking out more words to scream to no one, but he couldn't stop weeping over Roxas's lifeless body. Axel screwed his eyes shut and tried to block the lingering memories of Roxas. "I-" is all Axel could stutter out before collapsing into another fit of sobs.

* * *

As the days passed, Axel got to the point where he could form complete sentences without crumpling into tears. Zexion and Demyx always stood outside his door, fetching things for him when Axel needed them, and regulating who went inside his room. Three weeks later, Axel was finally able to go outside his room, but he couldn't leave Roxas for more than ten minutes, or he started breaking down into hysteria fits. He would never recover from the loss, but everyone else was helping him pick up the pieces of his shattered heart.

* * *

"G-Guys? Does this tux make me look weird?" Demyx came out of the bathroom, turning around to look at himself.

"No, Demyx, you look fine." Zexion reassured him. "Now come on, Axel's gonna need us."

"O-Okay." Demyx said, tugging at his sleeve one last time and following Zexion into the chapel.

* * *

_I have to go in there. _Axel thought as he stared at the chapel. _I may very well lose it, but I need to do this._ Axel had agreed to a burial, but only after several pleads and bribes. None of them worked, of course, except for Zexion's proposal. Zexion said that he could create a Roxas illusion if Axel wanted to him.

_That was the hardest decision to make. That's when I finally decided I needed to have a funeral._ Axel's mind wandered back to the conversation.

* * *

_"A-Axel?" Zexion peeked in the door and slowly walked in._

_"Mmm?" Axel murmured from underneath his pillow. _

_"I-I have an idea…to um…cope…with this situation." Zexion stared at Roxas, who lay peacefully next to Axel._

_"Wha-?" Axel said, lifting his head up from underneath the pillow._

_"Listen, Axel. I-I could…I could make you a Roxas. Ya know, an illusion of him." Zexion timidly asked Axel, rubbing his hands together nervously._

_"What? Y-You can make R-Roxas…come…back?" His eyes were filled with a small glimmer of hope, something Zexion hadn't seen it weeks. He was just disappointed to be the one to crush that hope._

_"No. He'll just be an illusion, but you would be able to, ya know, do whatever you guys do together, like eat ice-cream and stuff." Zexion sighed, hoping that Axel understood._

_"But…he wouldn't be the same R-Roxas, would it? I mean, he would still remember the same things, but he wouldn't be…the real thing?"_

_Zexion shook his head sadly. "No. I can only produce a replica, the closest thing to the original Roxas."_

_"L-Like when Vexen r-replicated R-Riku?" Axel asked, tilting his head to the side._

_"Yea, except Vexen has already tried replicating Roxas, but it looks like it's impossible…" Zexion said sadly._

_"O-Oh. W-Well, I d-don't know." Axel stated sadly, lowering his head._

_"That's okay, you can let me know later. Think it over, okay?" Zexion patted Axel's knee comfortingly._

_"O-Okay." Axel stuttered, watching Zexion leave his room._

_"H-He could make another R-Roxas. Just like t-the original…" Axel gazed at Roxas longingly, patting his messy spikes. "W-What should I do?" _

**_He'll be just like original Roxas, only different. _**_Axel thought, slightly confused by his choice of words._

_**B-But he won't be the same. He won't be the same guy I knew four weeks ago.** Axel ran a hand through his askew spikes. _

_**It…it wouldn't be the same… B-but I want him back so, so, so, so, so bad! I'd do anything just to make him open his eyes again.**_

_"I-I just want him back…but-but not this way. I can't just replace him with a replica. I'll just have to tell Zexion thanks but no thanks. I don't think I could deal if he did actually make a replica. I hope I've made the right choice. _

* * *

"I-I gotta go in there. I have to accept this." Axel said, smoothing his spikes, trying to flatten any fly-aways.

"I have to face my fears." Axel patted down his white-and-black checkered tuxedo and straightened his back.

"I need…I need _closure_." Axel stressed, taking tentative steps towards the chapel. Axel started for the church, taking small but meaningful steps. Axel tried his best to control the river of tears forming behind his eyes as memories resurfaced with each step.

_Just remember what Zexion said, build a dam to keep the tears from flowing._ Axel thought, taking in a deep breath and continued walking, holding in sobs that if he was to let out, he was afraid that they would never stop flowing. Axel took another deep, calming breath and looked around the chapel, his gaze landing on the casket in front of him.

"D-Do you want to go see him…you know…one last time?" Demyx said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"I-I d-don't know." Axel stuttered, shaking his head. He knew he had to see Roxas one more time, but he didn't want it too be this hard. Even though he had spent the past five weeks locked in his room with him, he still wouldn't be able to see him like this. If he saw Roxas, he would finally snap out of his little fantasy world in which Roxas isn't dead, and that somehow he'll wake up one day and he'll be back. Axel knew that he wouldn't be able to handle the truth very well, and he was holding off seeing him for as long as he possibly could.

"Take as long as you need to." Demyx patted Axel on the back and went to go rejoin Zexion and the rest of the Organization.

Axel peered over at the coffin again and saw Naminé sobbing violently over the casket. Her usual white plain dress had been replaced with a midnight black one that grazed the floor as she walked. Axel watched as Naminé collapsed in front of the coffin, holding onto the sides for support. Axel knew then that he wasn't the only one that had lost a best friend that day.

Axel hesitantly stepped in line after Marluxia and watched the others as they paid their respects to Roxas and put small remembrance items in the coffin. Axel nervously fingered the item in his pocket, trying to contain oncoming tears.

_Build a dam, build a dam, build a dam._ Axel chanted inside his head. Axel studied the other members' emotional behavior as they approached the casket. The only ones who seemed to cry were Zexion, Demyx, and Marluxia. The others either swiped the tears away before anyone could catch them crying, or didn't have any emotional reaction to the whole situation at all.

Axel took deeper breaths as he got closer and closer to the open coffin.

_C'mon Axel, don't lose it in front of everyone, you've seen Roxas like this for five weeks. It's not going to be any different. _Axel tried to reassure himself. He held his breath as Marluxia stepped forward and placed a black and white checkered rose inside the coffin and walked away quickly, trying to conceal oncoming tears.

Axel walked cautiously up to the coffin, forcing his eyes to start at the bottom of the coffin and work his way up. He examined all the items that the Organization had put in there; from Xemnas: The pictures that the Nobodies had stolen from the replica Pence back when Roxas figured out he was a Nobody, from Xigbar: A replica gun they used to shoot each other with, from Xaldin, the secret recipe to his pumpkin pie, a secret that he made Roxas swear he'd take to the grave, from Vexen: A small vial of the tonic that made him forever short, from Lexeaus: a shiny black obsidian, from Zexion: his ninja star necklace, from Saïx: the ruler he used to smack Roxas with all the time when he first joined the Organization. From Demyx: A star-shaped seashell from the ocean, from Luxord: Roxas's favorite deck of cards, from Larxene: a poorly sewn Pikachu doll, and from Marluxia: a black and white checkered rose that would never wilt.

Axel focused all his attention on damming up the tears as his eyes traced Roxas's collarbone, sliding up his neck, going along his jawbone, and eventually settling on his face. Axel smiled through blurry eyes and took out a ring with a brilliant blue sapphire and slid it on Roxas's finger.

"Goodbye, Roxas." The dam that Axel was trying to hard to keep up burst, and Axel collapsed to the floor, still clutching Roxas's hand.

_He-He's gone…He's really gone. _And with that Axel fainted on the floor.

* * *

"Axel! Axel!" He heard someone in the distance shout.

"Throw water on him!"

"That won't do anything silly!"

"Got any more ideas?"

"No…"

"Demyx! Get over here!"

"What?"

"Wake him up!"

"With what?!"

"Water, idiot!"

"Oh!"

Suddenly, Axel felt something wet and circular on his face, trying to call him back to consciousness.

"Guys, I think he's coming to!" He heard Demyx shout, withdrawing the water from his face.

He heard relived sighs coming from every direction around him.

"Axel? You okay?" Axel slowly opened his eyes to meet a concerned deep blue eye.

"W-What happened?" Axel questioned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Y-You…you fainted." Zexion said, withdrawing his face from in front of Axel's and straightened up.

Realization hit Axel hard.

_I-I'm at the funeral…aren't I? Wait…that means…Roxas…no! _

Axel buried his face in his hands and started sobbing again as the awareness set in.

"N-N-N-No!" Axel wailed, hugging his knees to chest and rocking back and forth.

"Axel…" Demyx started, searching for words.

"I-I can't believe it! H-He's r-really gone! I-I…" Axel couldn't finish his sentence, as he collapsed into another fit of bawls.

"Guys, give him some space." Zexion commanded, spreading his arms out as a barrier.

"N-No, Zexy. I-I'm okay…I think. I-It's just…a little overwhelming…that's all." Axel said breathlessly, placing a hand on his forehead.

"Y-You sure?" Zexion questioned nervously, slowly lowering his arms.

"Y-Yeah. Just give me some time." Axel reassured him, slowly standing up.

"O-Okay. C'mon guys, let's go get our seats." Zexion said, ushering the Organization into the assigned rows.

Axel slowly walked back over to the casket, and stared longingly into it, tears dripping on his perfect face. Axel took Roxas's right hand and fingered the ring on the blonde's hand.

"I love you." Axel whispered, bringing Roxas's hand to his lips and lightly kissing it. Axel smiled slightly as tears poured down his face, staring at his lost love.

Axel slowly turned his back and went to go sit at the front of the church, right next to Demyx and Zexion.

"Be strong." Axel felt a soft squeeze on the shoulder and turned around to look at Vexen.

"T-Thanks." Axel gave a small nod and smile, and turned around back in his pew.

Axel turned around to watch as Sora, Riku, and Kairi came in; all dressed in black, and took their seats next to a teary-eyed Naminé.

* * *

Axel somehow managed to sit through the whole service without completely losing it, although he did let out all the tears he had been damming up. Everyone in the Organization plus Sora and Naminé gave their own speeches about Roxas, which made everyone quite emotional. When Axel was called up, he could barely make it to the pulpit without collapsing into sobs.

"R-Roxas. H-He was more t-than just another member of the O-Organization. He was my whole _life_, he was the reason I got up each morning. He was the reason I didn't go insane through all the things the Organization has been through. He was my best friend, my safe haven, my angel, my first and only love." Axel had to stop after that, excusing himself and running to the bathroom to bawl his eyes out.

* * *

The burial, Axel thought, was probably the hardest part of it all. Axel couldn't stop crying as half of the Organization loaded the casket into the hearse. He was allowed to ride in the back of the hearse and open the coffin a crack, and hold Roxas's hand for just a little longer. When they arrived at the graveyard, Axel had to hold on to Demyx just to stay upright as they carried him towards the grave. Axel watched as they lifted the casket onto the lift. He couldn't stop sobbing as the priest gave a short speech about the well-being on Roxas in his next life, and for the well-being of everyone who was or has been associated with Roxas, especially Axel and Sora.

"I-It's like something has died inside of me." Was Sora's explanation when he was asked how Roxas was affecting him. "There's an emptiness inside of me…and I don't think anyone could fill that hole."

"Axel…Sora…please each take a Keyblade. You know what to do." The priest instructed.

Axel took a deep breath and grasped the handle to Oblvion and placed it on an angle on top of Roxas's closed coffin. Sora followed suit and laid Oathkeeper on top of Oblivion and took a deep breath, shaking violently with sobs as he exhaled. Sora collapsed into sobs as he rushed to Riku, wrapping his arms around his waist and sobbing into his tuxedo.

"Shh…Sora…" Is all Riku could offer, slowly stroking Sora's hair, tears spilling down his own cheeks.

Axel watched with horror as they lowered Roxas down into the hole, forever sealing his fate. Axel collapsed to the ground, weeping violently, fisting the grass in his hands in half anger and half defeat.

Everyone lowered their heads as Axel sobbed over Roxas as the rest of the Organization started shoveling dirt on top of his casket.

"R-R-R-Roxas! N-N-N-N-N-No…" Axel whispered, letting his face hit the ground in defeat.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
**THE NIGHT OF THE FUNERAL**

"I-I can't take this anymore! I-I n-need R-Roxas!" Axel said to himself, staring at his room's white wall with regret.

He sat up in his bed and thrust his hand outward, creating a portal. He rushed inside of it, teleporting to the graveyard. Axel ran as fast as his long legs would carry him to the gravesite. He collapsed in front of the gravestone and slowly read it in his mind.

**_Roxas. _**

**_Friend, other, member, lover. _**

**_Don't ever forget about us. We'll always be together. _**

**_August 13, 2005 – May 20, 2009 _**

**_R.I.P_**

They had decided to put Roxas's "birthday" of when he became a Nobody, instead of Sora's birthday to make it more appropriate.

Axel sobbed violently in front of the grave, an endless ocean of tears gushing from his puffy emerald eyes.

"ROXAS!" He choked out, weeping even harder as a fresh wave of realization hit him.

"Argh!" Axel started clawing the fresh grass and dirt, trying to get down to the casket, where Roxas lay. He dug deeper and deeper, trying to get his goal, his whole reason for living.

"ROXAS!" Axel screamed, his fingernails scraping the fresh earth.

"AXEL! STOP!" Axel felt himself being held back by a pair of strong hands.

"Marluxia! LET…ME…GO!" Axel said, trying to fight the Graceful Assassin off.

"No! You have to let _go_! Calm down!" Marluxia shouted, standing firm.

"NO! I NEED TO GET TO ROXAS!" Axel shouted, trying to squirm out of Marluxia's firm grasp.

"Axel! Stop it!" Marluxia said, summoning vines to bind his wrists and ankles.

"Marly! Let me go!" Axel shouted as he struggled against the thorny vines.

"Axel! You _need_ to CALM DOWN!" Marluxia shouted, whacking him on the head with a stick.

"Ah! Marluxia! S-Stop it!" Axel said, breaking down into sobs.

"No. Now goodnight." Marluxia stated, knocking out Axel with one of his experimental flowers from Vexen.

"Good…now we need to get you some help." Marluxia stated, setting the flowers for Roxas at the base of his grave and snapping, making the vines slither back into the ground.

"Ugh…now how to get him back to the Castle…" Marluxia winced.

* * *

PROLUGE

"Zexion?" Demyx asked questioningly, playing with a cup of water of Zexion's bed.

"Mmm?" Zexion replied, not looking up from his book.

"I miss Axel…" Demyx confessed sadly, putting the water back in the cup and setting it on Zexion's dresser.

Zexion put down his book and sighed. "Me too, Demyx. Me too…"

* * *

**Okay, so if you didn't understand the last part, Axel put a wedding ring (or engagement ring) on Roxas's finger that he had been meaning to give him forever, and in the proluge, Axel commited suicide to be with Roxas, and Demyx was talking about how much he missed him. XP  
-peeks- am i worthy of reviews?**


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